Buckwheat Kasha

(click to enlarge)	Buckwheat Kasha Russia - Grechnevaya Kasha
(click to enlarge)	Serves: Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	4 side * 35 min Yes		Buckwheat makes a flavorful and easy to make "cereal", though it's the seed of a plant related to rhubarb, not a grain. This dish is a fine breakfast for two, or a side dish with meats for four.

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1
2
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Lots

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Buckwheat (1)
Egg (opt. 2)
Water
Salt
Butter
-- Serve with
Pepper, black
Butter, soft

See Variations. Note that the word "Kasha" does not properly mean "Buckwheat", raw or roasted. It applies to any grain cooked in water or milk.

Make: - (35 min)

IF unroasted BUCKWHEAT: in a cast iron skillet, dry roast Buckwheat, stirring until it is fragrant and darkens just a couple of shades.
IF using EGG (Note-2), wipe your pan with just enough oil to coat. Bring it up moderately hot and stir in Buckwheat. Pour in Egg and very quickly stir to thoroughly coat the Buckwheat with Raw Egg. Fry stirring until Egg is set and dry.
Bring WATER to a boil in a tightly coverable pan (I use a 2 quart sauté pan), add Salt and Butter, then stir in Buckwheat. Bring back to a simmer, cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes or until all free water is absorbed, then turn off the heat and let rest, covered, another 10 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and serve with fresh ground Pepper, soft Butter, and garnished as desired (photo has chopped dill).

NOTES:

Buckwheat:
Roasted buckwheat is the most available form here in Southern California, and will do fine. Select a brand that is roasted to a rather light color. Some Russians prefer to roast their own. Unroasted is harder to find, but Asian markets here, particularly Korean markets, often have it. Using unroasted, you must roast it yourself or it will likely become mushy when cooked. For details see our Buckwheat page.
Egg:
Coating with egg and frying before adding liquid will produce an end texture with a little more adhesion than without the egg. I find it not worth the greatly increased bother during clean-up.
Variations
- Bacon: Start out with some bacon diced small instead of butter. Fry it half crisp and add to the roasted buckwheat in place of the butter.
- Mushroom Kasha: See our recipe Buckwheat Kasha with Mushrooms.
- Porridge: Cook over fairly high heat uncovered until all water is absorbed. Add 2 cups milk and cook slowly over low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Fried: Fry the buckwheat in oil or lard in place of the butter, then stir in some chopped onions and celery. Fry stirring until onions are soft and proceed as above.
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

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